Numbering-machine.



No. 743,233. PATENTBD NOV. s, 1903.

I T. HJBOSS.

NUMBBRING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 12, 1902.

H!) MODEL.

1m: uonms PETER! c0 momui-namasuwuwu o c mal positions.

UNITED STATES Patented November 3, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. BOSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INDEPENDENT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA- TION OF ILLINOIS.

NUMBERIN G-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 743,233, dated November 3, 1903.

Application filed December 12,19Q2. Serial No. 134,986. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. Boss, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Chicago, Illinois, have invented ro tion, Serial No. 125,544, filed October 1, 1902;

and the object of the present invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and convenient means for holding the printing characters in the position where they can be most readily set and also in such a position as to prevent meddlesome persons from accidentally or carelessly changing the proper sequence of the numbers.

Having this object in view, the present invention consists in the improvement hereinafter more particularly described and then set forth in the claims at the end hereof.

In the accompanying drawings,whicl1 show what I now consider the preferable form of my invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a numbering-machine made in accordance with my invention with the operating-handle and its connected parts located in their depressed condition, the parts thus occupy- 0 ing the positions where the inking-pad may be easiest reinked and where the number ing-wheels may be most readily set. Fig.

2 is a vertical central section of the upper part of the same with the parts in their nor- Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tubular plunger. Fig. 4is a plan view of a portion of the main frame with parts in section in order to better show the construction. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of several of the parts.

5 latter carries the numbering-wheels a and their connected parts. The said plunger 2 projects upward through the main frame 1 and contains a spring 7 for forcing the plunger and its connected parts upward and retaining them in their upper positions. This spring 7, as is usual in this class ofmachine, contacts at its upper end with the handle 9 by projecting into the hollow interior of said handle. The lower end of the spring is provided with a tubular housing 10, similar to that described in my hereinbefore-mentioned application.

The parts so far described are not claimed as new in this application, all of them except the tubular housing being old in other types of machines.

The main frame 1 has rigidly secured thereto a collar 11, provided with an opening 11 therein, as seen best in Fig. 5. Surrounding this collar is a ring 12, through which is preferably inserted a pin 13,which passes through the usual slot 14: in the tubular plunger 2 and affords a bottom support for the spring 7 and its tubular housing 10. Surrounding the aforesaid collar 11 and between its flange 11 and the said ring 12 is a locking device 16, which forms the novel feature in this application. This locking device in its preferable embodiment comprises a ring with a slightly elongated or elliptical opening 17, from one side of which projects a finger 18, and at the opposite ends of said ring, on the longest diameter thereof, are two upwardly-turned cars 19 and 20 for purposes to be hereinafter described.

The tubular plunger, as seen best in Fig. 3, is provided with two grooves or recesses 22 and 24, the first of which is near the upper end of the slot 14, and the other is near the lower end of said slot. These grooves or recesses are for the purpose of coacting with the finger 18, hereinbefore described, and it is easy to see that when the operating-handle 9 is depressed until the upper groove or recess comes opposite the finger 18 the operator may press on the ear 19, and thereby project the finger 18 into the said upper groove or reoess 22, thus securely locking the tubular press on the Opposite ear 20, which will cause the ring 16 to move sufficiently to disengage the finger 18 from its groove or recess 22.

When it is desired to lock the parts in their normal positions to prevent meddlesome persons from accidentally changing the sequence of numbers, all that is necessary to do is to press the ear 19, so that the finger 18 will be shot into the lower groove or recess 24, and the operating parts will then be locked in their upper positions.

It is believed the operation of my device is so simple that the very full description of the parts herein given has been sufficiently explicit to also describe the operation. It will therefore be unnecessary to give any other description than to state that the parts may be changed at Will to a considerable extent without departing from the spirit of my invention. As an example I might state that I do not at all confine my invention to the identical form of locking device nor to the form of the grooves 22 and 24 nor to their location, as it will be obvious that these parts may be changed and that the grooves may be formed on another side of the tubular plunger than on the same side with the slot 14.

What I claim as new is-- 1. In a machine of the character described; the combination of a plunger or rod; printing characters; a spring for forcing said characters upward; a bottom support for said spring passing into said plunger or rod; and a looking device for holding the parts in position, comprising an eiement acting independently of said bottom support and coacting with said plunger or rod and locking the parts in position; substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the character described; the combination of a plunger or rod having an opening or groove therein; printing characters; a spring for forcing said characters upward; a bottom support for said spring passing into said plunger or rod; and a locking device for holding the parts in position, comprising an element acting independently of said bottom support and arranged to enter said opening or groove in the plunger or rod; substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the character described; the combination of a plunger or rod; printing characters; a spring for forcing said characters upward; and a locking device for holding said parts in position, comprising a non-rotatable sliding element embracing saidplunger or rod and coacting therewith to lock the parts in position; substantially as described.

t. In a machine of the character described; the combination of a plunger or rod having an opening or groove therein; printing charaoters; a spring for forcing said plunger or rod and said printing characters upward; and a locking device for holding said plunger or rod and printing charactersin position, said lock ing device comprising a radially-sliding element embracing said plunger or rod and arranged to enter the opening or groove in said plungeror rod and thereby lock the same and the printing characters in position; substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the character described;

the combination of a plunger or rod having an opening or groove therein; printing characters; and a locking device for holding said parts in position, comprising a ring surrounding said plunger or rod and having aslightlyelongated opening permitting sliding move ment of said ring, said ring also having a portion arranged to enter the opening or groove in said plunger or rod; substantially as described. 6. In a machine of the character described; the combination of a main frame having a collar projecting therefrom; a plunger or rod moving through said collar; printing charac ters; a spring for forcing said plunger or rod upward; a bottom support for said spring; and a locking device supported on said collar and coacting with said plunger or rod and operating independently of said bottom support; substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the'character described; the combination of a main frame havinga collar projecting therefrom; a plunger or red moving through said collar; printing characters; a spring for forcing said printing characters and the plunger or rod upward; a bottom support for said spring projecting from said collar into said plunger or rod; and a' locking device supported on said collar and I00 having a sliding movement radially thereof; said locking device operating independently of said bottom support and having an element projecting through said collar and coacting With said plunger or rod for locking the 105 same in position; substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the character described;

a locking device for holding the parts in position comprising a ring having a slightlyelongated opening, a locking element project- I I0 ing through said ring; and an ear for pushing said ring; substantially as described.

9. In a machine of the character described;

a locking device for holding the parts in position comprising a ring having a slightly- I15 elongated opening, a locking element projecting through said ring; and ears on opposite sides of said ring for operating the same; substantially as described.

Signed by me at Chicago, Illinois, this 10th :20

day of December, 1902.

THOMAS H. BOSS.

Witnesses:

HYMAN EPSTEIN, E. A. HANDENFELL. 

